Petite Amélie Wooden Doll House

With Christmas just around the corner what could be a more perfect gift than a beautiful wooden doll house .The stunning three storey house by Petite Amélie  is the perfect choice for me . The stylish wooden house in white grey and black fits in perfectly with  minimal scandi inspired toddler rooms  or een older kids rooms. The doll house comes with a 19-piece wooden doll house furniture set. A set of four wooden doll house dolls is also available and sold separately. 

One of the most sustainable choices you can make for your children is wooden toys from Petite Amélie  and there is a wonderful selection some of which my daughter already has and plays with all the time. The quality is wonderful and in my opinion they are well priced when you consider the longevity and ethical manufacture and sustainability not to mention the amount of detail and design that has gone into them .

The house comes flat packed and is easy to put together and I actually quite enjoyed the process.

The furniture is all ready made and can be arranged any way the child wants in all the beautiful rooms.

We are also going to decorate ours for Christmas and it's a great exercise for children to incorporate all year round by decorating according to seasons and special days .

We are delighted with this new addition to the nursery and I am sure it will provide hours of creative play and fun . It is definitely a company we will be going back to again and again !

Petite Amélie Wooden Toys

I am guilty of buying a lot of toys for my eldest , some wooden which have lasted the test of time and Christiana uses now , but unfortunately the majority were plastic. I now make a conscious effort to be more sustainable as far as both kids clothing and toys are concerned.

One of my recent discoveries is a gorgeous brand called Petite Amélie , a wonderful company that sells not only beautiful linens and nursery decor but also the most beautiful wooden toys . They are designed so well and and are of great quality...not to mention the fact that they look adorable.

Wooden toys are a great option and although they might be a bit pricier they will stand the test of time, they are not toxic as most plastic, they look better and more life like  and it teaches children from a young age to be more considerate and sustainable.

Christiana is at the age when she is starting to engage in pretend play , she looks after her dollies and loves pretending to feed them and putting them to sleep. It seemed like the right time to get her some accessories for her non-plastic dolls. So I opted for the wonderful wooden dolls pram  which has a lovely retro feel and comes in beautiful white wood. Naturally she uses it not only to transport her dolls but also she fills it with other toys and pushes it around the house. When we first got it she kept bumping into walls and furniture but she has now learnt to go slower and has become quite good at steering it without banging into things. You can actually see her concentrating while she is pushing it so it also a great toy to improve motor skills in toddlers and coordination.

I also chose the little wooden high chair so that she can play feed her dolls and it is a great addition to her nursery. It is actually quite difficult to find this particular type of toy and it is the perfect height for toddlers.

I am sure she will have so much fun with them and I can't wait to add to her little collection and watch her develop through play.

New Season , what to buy now!

I have issues, sale issues! Every season I have my eye on a few pieces that may be a bit pricier and tell myself that since they are classics I will wait till the sales and buy them at a discount.Very wise I hear you say! However , there is no accounting for an aquarius' capacity for boredom which means that when the much awaited sales roll round , the things that I so dearly coveted seem boring and ...done, for want of a better word. So instead of scrolling through the discounted items, I click on new in and feel the rush of excitement that comes with newness and novelty, how fickle I am !

That aside , the stores have got lots of lovely new stock in and for me this is a time for investing in some beautiful staples like a lighter coloured coat  that is still warm and snugly or some practical boots . Also there is nothing like some beautiful knitwear or pyjamas  to make January feel a bit more special and to ease the post holiday blues!Last but not least a classic quality handbag like this Sezane Leather Heritage Victor bag will update any outfit and will last for season after season. So skip the trends and go for quality that will endure!

Below are some of the things that I think will be great additions to my wardrobe and will see me nicely into spring!

Baby Essentials, Mothercare Sit Me Up Cosy

My little baby girl is 2 months old and is getting too big to sleep in her Moses basket but I still want to keep her near me in the sitting room in the day and to be honest she doesn't sleep for long during the day anyway. I feel like putting her in her cot would unsettle her and she will only really go in if I am next to her in the bed.

 So I have been searching for something to rest her on that she can play and relax on and I came across the Mothercare Sit Me up Cosy. It has three different uses, stage 1 where it can be used as a nest and it is suitable for birth. She can snuggle in the super soft fabric and I can give her toys to increase her curiosity and enjoy her play time which she loves. I went for the  Teddy Toy Box Sit Me Up Cosy as we already have the Teddy's Toy box bouncer to match  and I love the neutral colours. The petal shaped lining of the nest can also be used as a mat independently and I lay her on it to play or for tummy time.

When she is older and sitting up the two halves can be stacked on top each other to create a soft and supportive prop to help the baby play safely. I am so pleased with this product and I really like that it is quite high and my baby loves looking at the big Teddy head. It has definitely solved my problem about where to rest her and she seems to sit in it happily playing or having little naps without me worrying about her safety. The soft fabric is a  dream and easy to clean .

This was a very affordable solution for me and Mothercare is always up to scratch providing great quality and design at an affordable price. There are other styles available : My Frst Sit Me Up Cosy , Blossom Farm Belle Bunny Sit Me Up Cosy , Blossom Farm Lily Lamb Sit Me Up Cosy , My Little Garden Sit Me Up Cosy , Baby Safari Sit Me Up Cosy  and Confetti Party Sit Me up Cosy .

 I have also included some other options your little one might enjoy and some that are definitely on my wishlist!

Butterfly Twists

In general , when I am looking for a flat shoe I usually reach for a sneaker and it has been years since I have worn ballet flats. However I have loved the new trend of pointy flats and was looking for a classic but modern take on the trend which would also be practical and most importantly comfortable.
So I was very happy to come across the brand Butterfly Twists which is an innovative brand that creates shoes with the unique memory foam feature which means that not only are they foldable and they actually come with a lovely little pouch to put them in, they also fit perfectly to your foot.
I thought that they would also be great to pop in your bag , if you have had enough of your heels for the day or for a quick dash in your lunch break.

I opted for the HOLLY which features  a pointed toe and comes in cream and black. They also feature a flexible rubber sole which makes them extremely comfortable for walking , unlike some other ballet pumps.

There are lots of other designs on the site , from sporty styles to the more traditional round toed ballet flat, and considering the great quality of the product the price point is very good.




One of my other favourite styles is the OLIVIA ( obviously named after the queen of the ballet flat, Ms Palermo) which also comes in leopard print here and in cream and patent black here.

In my opinion these are staples in any busy girls wardrobe and mine will be sitting pretty in their pouch tucked into my handbag at all times for when I want a break from my sneakers and need to smarten up my outfit or to replace painful heels .

New Season you need NOW!!

We are in the middle of Summer and personally I am the size of a house , but I can't help but get excited about the season merchandise  hitting the stores at the moment, not least because the prospect of wearing something not resembling a tent in the near future fills me with joy. 

One of the stores that is killing it is good old h&m as they have launched  a great collaboration  with  GP & J Baker and consists of some of the most beautiful floral prints that can be worn now but are also great for fall.  

 Also it is worth noting that they are all very affordable unlike some designer collaborations and they are items that will last for many seasons to come

Patterned Jumpsuit here

Patterned Chiffon dress here

Patterned Blouse here

Jumpsuit here

Wide trousers here

In addition there are some beautiful coats and trenches which are definitely worth grabbing now as they are certain to sell out pretty soon!

Trenchcoat vintage pink here

Soft Trenchcoat here

Wool Blend Coat here

Summer can stay for a little longer but new season shopping has well and trully commenced!

Kit Stars Make Up Brushes Review

Now let me start by saying that I am definitely not a make up connoisseur. I would say my abilities with make up are average and I am ashamed to admit that for the most part , I use my fingers for pretty much everything and a brush- one brush for bronzer and blusher. I though that was fine until I was shown the light! I was very kindly sent a set of Kit Stars Brushes to try and I have to say that I have rethought the way make up can be used.

This is not a sponsored post , it is my honest opinion as a make up brush newbie.So first of all let me tell you a bit about the brand. They claim to offer professional standard brushes at a fraction of the price. The brushes are all hand made and there

The brushes are all hand made and thereare natural and vegan brushes. They use use, solid copper and gold plate to ensure that the brushes are perfectly weighted .



I was sent brushes in natural fibre:
N3 Blush
N2 Shaping Veil
N1 Powder
S4 Base
S41 Short Angle 
N32 Blender
N33 Micro Pencil
S40 Easy Lip
N31 Tapered Blender
N30 Small Tapered Blender

They are all very reasonably priced considering the high quality of the product and I absolutely loved the S4 Base brush, I will never be using fingers again. Also, I have always been scared of eyeshadows but with gorgeous Blending Brushes I have never seen my eye make up look so great.
The Micro pencil is so handy if like me you find eyeliner tricky, and applying my lipstick with the Easy Lip made my lips look much fuller and precise.

My overall opinion is that this set of brushes is worth its value and really does deliver. they have been crafted with lots of care and they make putting on make up much easier and the end result looks more polished. So you can become your own make up expert! I certainly will be experimenting with my new additions and am looking forward to seeing what this brand brings out next!

Three Summer Essentials

We are officially in the height of Summer and there are certain items that are necessary this season in every wardrobe. However , updating your wardrobe every season can be quite expensive so it is important to chose wisely and pick items that you will get the most wear out of. 

Furthermore choosing a retailer that offers great competitive prices is also a prudent way forward for any fashion conscious girl. Rosegal , which is a huge budget retailer with an enormous range of items for sale are currently celebrating the Rosegal 5th anniversary and they have lots of offers on the site that will make your new purchases even more affordable

I also have a discount code that will get you a further 15% off your order by using code RGCara.

Below are the three items I feel are worth the investment this season and which will be suitable for many occasions and hopefully seasons to come.

Espadrille Pom Pom Fringe Slides here

These are perfect for so many outfits and tick so many trends. Slides are still huge but this is a much more sophisticated take on the trend which look far more expensive that they actually are.

 Lace insert Maxi dress here

A maxi dress is another staple , you can dress it up or down and can even use it as a bikini cover up. 

Straw bag here

One of the biggest trends of the season is the straw bag and personally I love it. They give an element of  freshness and are so quintessentially summery that they instantly lift any outfit and mood!

All the above items actually cost less that $100 in total so what are you waiting for. Take advantage of the great offers and don't forget to use the discount code for even more savings , that you can spend on delicious Summer cocktails instead!

The Perfect Tassel Printed Boho Dress

I love scrolling through blogs and Instagram looking at gorgeous Summer outfits with blazers and long sleeved embroidered blouses, however the reality of living in a hot country is that generally less is better. Keeping cool and looking cute is is the goal and trousers and blazers are best saved for late September. 

I really like the boho trend at the moment and it also suits my expanding waistline and ample chest which is always a bonus. I was so happy to find this gorgeous tasselled dress from Zaful , a company which I think is great for beautiful dresses and playsuits at very competitive prices.

 The dress has little thin straps which you can also tuck in to create a strapless style or let them hang down for a more relaxed look. The pattern is beautiful as is the pretty tasselled trim along the front. This is not maternity dress , but it does look great with a bump as well. The material is lovely and soft and you can easily wear it from day to to night.

  Tassel Ruffle Cami Dress here

The dress is currently under $20 dollars and there is a huge sale on the site and combined offers to take advantage of. 

xxx